Review: Political Justice by Dennis Carstens

                              Political Justice by Dennis Carstens

Release Date: October 1, 2017

Genre: Mystery, Thriller & Suspense

Source: Smith Publicity

Synopsis

A politically ambitious couple will stop at nothing to obtain the presidency. He is a popular governor of a western state. A philanderer, but charming, good-looking, charismatic, a dream candidate. Thomas Jefferson Carver is a capable administrator and attracts sycophants like moths to a flame. People willing to sacrifice themselves and anyone who opposes him. 
Darla Bunton Carver is the political brains behind their rise to power. Amoral and single-minded to the point of obsession it is her ambition to succeed her husband to become the first woman president of the United States. And nothing will stand in her way to achieve it. Including her husband’s numerous affairs, money scandals, homicide cover-ups, murder and even treason. Whatever is necessary. Their true goal? Power and wealth for themselves.

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My Thoughts

A Marc Kadella mystery, Political Justice can be read as a standalone or apart of the series. This book definitely had me wanting more, which made me not want to put the book down. I finished the book in a day and a half (due to having to go too work) but I can't wait till the next one comes out. I really liked how realistic the characters and story line became the further I got into Political Justice. I will definitely be reading more from Dennis Carstens!

Buy Links

Amazon

Author Q&A

1.       How long have you been writing? What genres have you written?

I actually wrote my first book The Key to Justice in 1999 – 2000. I tried to go the traditional route to get it published and was met with total disinterest and rejection. Discouraged, I did not take it up again until 2011. My son encouraged me to self-publish on Amazon. The response surprised me with its success which encouraged me to continue.

The legal world, murder mystery/courtroom drama is the only genre I have written so far. I am extremely interested and well-read in history and I have in mind a couple of historical novels based on actual events that I will eventually do.

2.      What has been the greatest influence on your writing?

I am a retired lawyer who always enjoyed a good legal genre novel. What got me interested in doing one is most of the books in the genre left me wondering if the author had ever seen the inside of a courtroom. Ever represented a live, human client with a real legal problem or tried to make a living practicing law. Some do such as Scott Turow and Steve Martini who are very experienced and very good. Then others such as John Grisham, James Patterson and Michael Connelly who clearly have no clue. I wanted to write more realistically about what it is like.

3.      Are you currently writing anything now?

I am about to start, and by the time you read this will have started, the eighth of the Marc Kadella legal mystery series. No, I am not going to tell you about it. Buy it, you’ll like it.

4.      How do you typically begin your projects?

To me the main thing I need to have mostly figured out before I start writing is the ending. I think it is very important to know where you are going so as not to wander off too far as can happen. Writing a book is almost like building a house. You build the story one step at a time. And just as building a house you better have a pretty good idea of what it is supposed to look like when you are finished.

I do not use a written outline. I know what my beginning is going to be, my ending and the middle. I keep a lot of notebooks around the house, especially by my bed, for when ideas pop into my head so I can make notes of it.

As for characters, this is the main thing I am trying to accomplish. I want to create an emotional tie between the reader and the characters (good or bad, favorable or unfavorable) to keep the reader engaged to find out how they all make out in the end. Several of my characters are in all of my books and I do keep a written profile of each to be consistent. I also do that with non-recurring characters for the same reason.

I normally focus on one book at a time but things come to me about future books. When this happens, I write up notes about it so as not to forget. Makin notes is extremely important. I once had a dream and I awoke in the middle of the night thinking about it. It was a great idea for a book. I laid in bed for at least twenty minutes thinking it through and was quite pleased about it. Instead of getting up and writing it down I was certain I would remember it in the morning. When I woke up I remembered having a dream, waking up and thinking about it but could not remember one thing about the dream itself. Still have not. Take notes. Do not rely strictly on your memory.

5.      What aspect of your writing do you consider your strength? Your weakness?

I prefer to have my characters tell my story with their actions and interactions and their dialogue. I do not use a lot of third party narration for this. I think it helps with character development, creates the reader-character bond and makes the story flow along better. When reading I can get a little bored with page after page of third party narration.

I am a lawyer, not a grammar expert. Apparently, there are people out there who believe they are. I have used the internet to check on grammar usage all the time and have found there are differing opinions on proper usage. If you think you are a grammar expert, you probably are not. At least others will disagree with you. Plus, I use dialogue the way people actually speak not the way your sixth grade English teacher tried to get you to speak.

6.      What are the next steps after publishing a book?

At first, I did nothing much except publish on Amazon and let them do the marketing. There are services out there who will work with you for a fee or commission to use Amazon and other book promo organizations to promote your book. I am just now starting to use them and it has worked for me. But, I was fortunate to do well right away which, from what I understand, is quite unusual.

7.      What advice would you give a writer who is starting out?

First of all, be disciplined. Writing a 300 plus page fiction novel is very difficult. It is a lot of work. There are millions of partially written manuscripts sitting in desk drawers in this country from people who found this out. They wanted to try it, and good for them, then got part way into it and ran out of ideas.

I treat writing like a job. I am retired but I get up every morning around 6:30 and am at the desk by 8:00 every day. I have a daily goal of what I want to accomplish and I get at it and work until I have it. If you are employed, make a schedule every week of times when you are going to write and stick to it. If you can’t be that disciplined, odds are pretty good you are going to fail. Know that going in.

So as not to be overly negative, it is also very rewarding. I am fortunate enough to have had some success and am making a pretty good living at it. I also like the creative side of it. Apparently, I have a fairly active imagination and creative streak. Not to brag but I have received more Five Star reviews from readers than all other reviews combined. Each time you get one of those it feels very gratifying to know that all of the work you put into the book was not a waste of time.

Write about what you know. If you are a doctor don’t write science fiction about interstellar space travel. You can do that but it will not seem factual.

Be realistic about your target market. I happen to have worked in a genre that is very popular with the reading public. My audience was quite large going in. Children’s books are enormously popular. For some reason people keep having babies and buying books for them to teach them to read. Apparently, no one tells them about dealing with teenagers. Books about the exciting life of a plumber, not so much.

Review: Doc Doc Zeus by Thomas Keech

Doc Doc Zeus by Thomas Keech

Release Date: August 1, 2017

Genre: Thriller & Suspense; Medical; Crime Fiction

Publisher: Real Nice Books

Source: Smith Publicity

Synopsis

Still mourning the baby, she gave away a year before – and feeling rejected by the same church people who had so cheerfully arranged that adoption – sixteen-year-old Diane seems to find a supportive friend in her gynecologist, Dr. Zeus. Diane is intelligent and bold but often leaps before she looks, and now she questions why he has to examine her so often, and why he prescribes her so many drugs.

The state medical board also has suspicions about Dr. Zeus, but the official inquiry inches forward very slowly as its new investigator stumbles over his own hang-ups.

My Thought’s

Despite the title, this book is oddly disturbing and I’m not quite sure I like it. The writing was good and the characters were explained very well, but I didn’t care for Dr. Zeus one bit. He used his position a gynecologist to sexually abuse young women.

Diane, a patient of his starts to get a little suspicious about him and what he’s really been up too as their relationship goes on. I’ll let you as the reader figure out what happens next.

Overall, the writing and storyline were great. I do recommend reading this book so go pick up your copy today!

Author Q&A

1. Doc Doc Zeus is all about medical crime. Has there ever been a fictional story like this one written before?

This book might be unique in that it focuses not only on the predator doctor but also on the victim – how she got caught up in the doctor’s evil trap, how she was affected, and how she eventually learns to trust and learn from the people around her.

2. Without giving too much away, what would you say is the main conflict in Doc Doc Zeus?

Dr. Zeus’s evil manipulation of all the levers of power to indulge his sexual and financial fantasies is challenged by the dedication of a novice investigator – and the surprising inner strength of his teenage victim.

3. Most books that really connect with readers speak to some universal truths. What universal truths are illustrated or discussed in your book?

The sociopaths we will always have among us, but the rest of us can limit their damage if we forge ahead, forgive ourselves for our own mistakes and do the same for those who are truly our friends.

4. Can you tell readers how your personal background and experience informed your writing of Doc Doc Zeus?

As counsel to the Maryland State Board of Physicians for sixteen years I assisted the Board as they heard charges against physicians. My work required me to have an intimate knowledge of the case, including the witness interviews, the testimony, and the hearings, as well as the procedures and trial tactics of both the prosecution and the defense.

5. Why did you choose the predator, Dr. Zeus, to be a male?

The great majority of physician sexual predators that I dealt with were male, the great majority of victim’s female. My guess is that either male patients are not reporting assaults by female physicians or it isn’t happening that often.

6. What do you want readers to remember about your story or characters long after they have finished reading?

Diane trusted her friends and kept a fingerhold on reality even as she was being swept away by Dr. Zeus and his drugs. Maybe that happened because he parents never abandoned her. There are people even in high levels of our society whose only concept of truth is whatever is best for them at the present moment; these people are dangerous and must be watched carefully.

Buy Links

Amazon

Biography

Thomas Keech worked for twenty years as an Assistant Attorney General for the State of Maryland, sixteen of those years as legal counsel to the Maryland State Board of Physicians. He has also worked as a juvenile counselor, a Legal Aid attorney and lobbyist and as a state administrative law judge. His three previous novels have dealt with state politics, teenagers entangled in suburban corruption and college romance. His work has been described as “uncommonly entertaining” by Kirkus Reviews and “seriously amusing” by Publishers Weekly. The Crawlspace Conspiracy was honored as one of the year's "ten best" by the Boston Review of Books.

Review: A Justified Bitch by H.G. McKinnis

A Justified Bitch by H.G. McKinnis

Release Date: August 8, 2017

Publisher:  Imbrifex Books 

Genre: Mystery & Thriller & Suspense

Source: Received from Smith Publicity in exchange for honest review

Synopsis:

It takes a guilty bastard to make a justified bitch.

When a severed finger shows up on her doorstep in a seedy section of Las Vegas, Helen Taylor does not freak out. She’s already crazy, as evidenced by her junk-stuffed house and its ever-growing population of cats. There’s also Bobby, her long-dead husband. Helen talks to him regularly, and Bobby talks back.

The finger and the brutal murder it reveals are more than a hoarding cat lady with a phantom husband can ignore. Helen’s a suspect, and she ends up in jail. Summoned by the detective on the case, Helen’s sister Pat arrives from Phoenix with two teen-age boys in tow.

While Helen is AWOL from a mental facility, another gruesome murder is discovered. Pat, the boys, and the detective struggle to separate fact from insanity, but it takes power beyond the ordinary to bring the truth to light.

My Thought’s:

Do NOT judge this book by it's cover or title! It definitely is a murder mystery book and I'm not quite sure why this title and cover were chosen. I thoroughly enjoyed this mystery book. If you like a realistic murder mystery then this is the book for you. Without giving to much away Las Vegas was described well along with the characters. 

Author Q&A

1.       You live in Las Vegas, and that’s also where your book is set. Why do you think this city provides such a rich backdrop for storytelling.

For starters, Las Vegas is a 24-hour town. Where else can you golf or go bowling at two in the morning and follow it up with a meal at a nice restaurant before sunrise?  Another amazing feature is that, as a resident, I don’t really have to travel. The whole world comes here – not only to gamble and drop inhibitions, but to conduct business, get married, and go to school. For a relatively young city, Las Vegas has a rich, fascinating history. Who would have thought that a tiny Mormon fort surrounded by desert would grow into a metropolis of two million in just over a century? Add in mobsters, showgirls, and nuclear physicists testing bombs, and you get a history that’s any novelist’s dream. I’ll never run out of stories.

2.       Without giving too much away, what would you say is the main conflict in A Justified Bitch?

Helen’s overabundance of cats and ever-increasing hoard have reached critical levels, but her family—out of town and busy with their lives—are unaware of the growing complexities of her situation. When Helen is entangled in a murder investigation, the family can no longer look the other way. As they struggle to rescue Helen, they must reexamine their own relationships and identities.

3.       Most books that really connect with readers speak to some universal truths. What universal truths are illustrated or discussed in your book.

Siblings are a pain in the ass!

Seriously, familial relationships are complex and demanding. They also shape our identities.

4.       Can you tell readers how your personal background and experience informed your writing for A Justified Bitch.

I’ve lived in Las Vegas all my life and have answered the siren call of swap meets and thrift stores since I was a teenager. Because Las Vegas has a diverse and transient population, treasure hunting at bargain venues is always extra-rewarding.

Losing my husband has given me insight into the mental gymnastics needed to keep the pain at bay. I’m no Helen, but I have no trouble understanding how hoarding helped her cope with her loss.

5.       Why did you choose to write about a hoarder.

I’ve met a number of hoarders in my life. I noticed early on that they all had interesting and complex back stories. Many people are unaware of the hoarders in their own lives. Ashamed, hoarders hide their condition to avoid embarrassment.

6.       Is it possible to have a normal life in Las Vegas?

You’re asking a fish to describe water! I’ve lived here most of my life. I feel comfortable, productive, and… normal. And so do all the other nude dressers I’ve worked with!

7.       In A Justified Bitch, we notice the characters going through financial hardship and the toll it takes on them. In your opinion, how does the economy affect the lives of everyday people?

An entrepreneurial spirit and willingness to work hard are hallmarks of many Las Vegans. The glamor of the city is a show we put on for tourists, and it takes legions of committed and diligent people to produce the experience visitors expect. When the economy sours and jobs dry up, we all have a choice: double down or leave town. It makes me proud that the prevailing attitude among true Las Vegans is: work harder.

Biography

I grew up in Las Vegas where attending grade school meant hanging out with the children of scientists, cocktail waitresses and dealers. As children we all went to the strip to see shows in the hotels, eat in the restaurants and eye the tourists. Even at a very young age I knew our city was special. After graduating from UNLV, I worked for a number of years as a nude dresser in various production shows on the strip. Nude dancers aren’t actually naked. They may dance without bras, but make up for the privilege by loading themselves down with many pounds of feathers, rhinestones and sequins.

After the last big feather show closed, I started retraining as an Audio Visual Technician. Learning about the new electronic equipment we use to enhance the convention meeting experience fascinates me. Las Vegas is an unconventional town, and it provides me with endless opportunities and excitement.

Review: Aging Disgracefully by Danny Cahill

Aging Disgracefully by Danny Cahill

Release Date: May 2, 2017

Publisher: Greenleaf Book Group

Genre: Biography & Memoir

Synopsis

Does it count as a midlife crisis if you screw up your life and you happen to be entering middle age, or did you screw up your life because you are entering middle age?

​And does it matter if you take the kind of life most people envy—wealth and success and recognition—and blow it up, hurting everyone you love along the way? Who does that?!

Danny Cahill had made it, by any measure: He was a recruiting industry icon with a brilliant, lucrative career, hugely in demand as a motivational speaker, and a noted playwright and writer. But once a serious gym injury began to unravel his childhood deprivations, his mother’s shame-based modus operandi, and the choices he made in search of love, he realized he had thrown it all away in spectacular fashion.

In Aging Disgracefully, Cahill takes on the emotionally tricky territory of memoir and charges into deep water to tell a frequently humorous and wonderfully dark tale that spares no one in his life, least of all himself. 

Painfully authentic and unapologetic, Cahill’s account reveals that no matter how the world rewards you for being at the top of your game, an unresolved past can follow you, shape your choices, and lead to comic and tragic results when lines are crossed. 

Cahill’s story is ultimately about climbing out of messes, saving ourselves from ourselves, finding exactly what we’ve been looking for, and realizing that it was there all along.

My Thought’s:

Wow! I’m at a loss of words. Cahill’s memoir is probably one of the best that I’ve read this year. How he describes his love, guilt and fear brought me right into the pages of his story and I just couldn’t put it down. I read his book in the span of one day.

Cahill goes into his childhood and begins to explain his painful experiences of falling in and out of love. It’ll make you laugh and cry all the way to the very end. Without giving to much away I’m going to end it there, but I highly recommend Cahill’s “Aging Disgracefully” and it receives five stars from me!

Biography

Danny Cahill started his career at the headhunting firm Hobson Associates straight out of college. He was its rookie of the year and subsequently its youngest top producer and its youngest manager. At twenty-seven, he bought the company and built it into one of the country's largest privately held search firms. His success led to a speaking career that culminated in being awarded the recruiting industry's first (Knutson) ''Lifetime Achievement Award.''

In his other life as a playwright, his works have been produced off-Broadway and he has won the Maxwell Anderson, Emerging Playwright, and CAB theatre awards. His first book, Harper's Rules, won an Axiom award.

Review: 180 Seconds by Jessica Parks

 

180 Seconds by Jessica Parks

Release Date: April 25, 2017

Publisher: Skyscape

Genre: Teen & YA, Social & Family Issues

Source: Netgalley

Synopsis:

Some people live their entire lives without changing their perspective. For Allison Dennis, all it takes is 180 seconds…

After a life spent bouncing from one foster home to the next, Allison is determined to keep others at arm’s length. Adopted at sixteen, she knows better than to believe in the permanence of anything. But as she begins her third year in college, she finds it increasingly difficult to disappear into the white noise pouring from her earbuds.

One unsuspecting afternoon, Allison is roped into a social experiment just off campus. Suddenly, she finds herself in front of a crowd, forced to interact with a complete stranger for 180 seconds. Neither she, nor Esben Baylor, the dreamy social media star seated opposite her, is prepared for the outcome.

When time is called, the intensity of the experience overwhelms Allison and Esben in a way that unnerves and electrifies them both. With a push from her oldest friend, Allison embarks on a journey to find out if what she and Esben shared is the real thing—and if she can finally trust in herself, in others, and in love.

My Thought’s:

I’m not sure where to begin with 180 seconds except that I absolutely loved what Jessica Parks has written here. 180 seconds will make you laugh, cry, ponder about life’s problems as a young adult.

This book really hit home for me as it was always difficult for me to make friends, but that doesn’t bother me anymore. At least I try not to let it bother me. I’m an introvert and would much rather be at home reading a book curled up under a nice comfortable blanket. Allison has basically convinced herself that she’s better off alone and it gets to the point where she must choose to keep to herself or open up to people.

I loved this book and I haven’t read one in a while that I fell in love with like this. Jessica, you did one hell of a job on 180 seconds. You had me laughing and crying and really reflecting on my life. I highly recommend 180 seconds and definitely give this one five stars!          

Review: Beastia by Zoe Cruz

Title: Beastia

Author: Zoe Cruz

Release Date: March 13, 2017

Genre: Teen & YA, Bullying, Social & Family Issues and Literature & Fiction

Source: Received from Smith Publicity in exchange for an honest review

Synopsis

What if the Beauty became the Beast?

In a Dark Retelling of Beauty and the Beast, a mean girl falls prey to a mad man.

The meanest of mean girls, Rebekah Austin rules her Chicago school with sharp outfits and an even sharper tongue. She has a way of making even the most beautiful and brilliant girls in her class feel like dirt. But underneath the queen-bee façade is someone who feels ugly, repulsive…beastly.

When Rebekah falls prey to a madman, the bully becomes the bullied. Scarred and tormented, she abandons her previous life and adopts a new identity, but her ghastly appearance haunts her everywhere she goes. Only with the help of determined friends can she move past her horrifying experience—and maybe even let herself be loved. And if the madman returns to finish what he started, will she be ready, or will she give up hope?

My Review

Beastia is an enticing YA book and Zoe did an amazing job portraying the characters. I had a hard time putting the book down to go to work and sleep. I couldn’t imagine the horrendous things that Bea went through actually happening so someone. Overall the book was good and the story line was smooth and I really enjoyed the book and I can’t wait for more.

Author Bio

Writer. Traveller. Geek.

Zoe Cruz is a notorious book lover, anything sci-fi and fantasy and more. She has lived in Spain for nearly four years and is currently back in the United States.

Her interests include Skyrim, watching anything Star Trek related, and writing books.